Wellbeing in the Digital Age: Empowerment, Safety and Shared Responsibility Across the Digital Landscape

Online Event 

Thursday 25 June at 19:00

Introduction and Event Overview

Digitalisation has transformed how young Europeans see themselves, interact with others, and access mental‑health support. While digital tools can expand access to care, the same online environments increasingly distort self‑image, amplify harmful comparison, and expose young people to algorithm‑driven pressures that undermine wellbeing. This LYMEC policy debate will examine how Europe can protect youth mental health without sacrificing digital freedom, innovation, or autonomy.

Young people now spend a significant portion of their social and emotional lives online. Social media platforms curate idealised bodies, lifestyles, and identities, often reinforcing unrealistic standards. Research across Europe links heavy engagement with appearance‑focused content to increased anxiety, depressive symptoms, and body dissatisfaction. At the same time, digital mental‑health tools, teletherapy, self‑guided apps, AI‑based support, offer unprecedented opportunities for early intervention and accessible care. The challenge is ensuring that digitalisation becomes a force for empowerment rather than a driver of insecurity.

This debate will explore three core questions:

• How can the EU ensure that digital platforms adopt youth‑centred design standards that reduce exposure to harmful content without restricting expression?
• What regulatory and ethical frameworks are needed to guarantee that digital mental‑health tools are evidence‑based, safe, and respectful of user autonomy? 
• How can liberal youth organisations champion digital literacy, resilience, and self‑esteem as essential components of mental‑health policy?

TO SIGN UP, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO PROJECT@LYMEC.EU

Link will be sent out to registered participants ahead of the event. 

Please note the event is reserved for Member Organisations and Individual Members of LYMEC

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.